The Only Friend You Have
by Meredith Sinclair
Summary: Draco Malfoy is in a downward spiral two years after the wizard war. At this point, his only friend might be his former worst enemy. My first shot at fan fic, please review!
1. Chapter 1

The Only Friend You Have

It was six months since the end of the wizard war. The accused man sat in the center of the Wizengamot, which was completely dark, except for the spotlight that shone down on the prisoner.

He did not look at the judges. He kept his jaw clenched and stared at a spot on the floor in front of his feet.

The head judge spoke. "The prisoner has been accused of committing many serious crimes against the wizard world during the war. These are very serious charges. Does the accused have anything to say before this Wizengamot pronounces sentence on you?"

The man in the chair shuffled his feet slightly, reset his jaw and remained defiantly silent.

"Very well then" the head judge said.

From behind him, the prisoner heard a voice speak up from the gallery.

"Excuse me sir" she said.

"Yes" replied the head judge "who's there?"

"Hermione Granger" came the reply.

The man in the chair felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a strange flush came over his face. So, she came here to make sure they lock me up forever he thought. After all he'd done to her and her friends, she's here to have the last laugh. Hope she enjoys it, he thought sarcastically.

"Yes Miss Granger? You have something to add to this proceeding?"

He was magically bound to his chair, so he couldn't turn and look her in the face. He thought that was only fair, to be able to face his accuser.

He heard her take a deep breath and began "I have come here today to ask for leniency for Draco Malfoy."

At these words, he tried to whip his head around to face her, but the magical restraints held him facing forward.

"Leniency? After all he has been accused of? Especially what he has done to you and your closest friends Miss Granger?" the head judge inquired.

"Yes sir. Draco Malfoy was under the influence of the Dark Lord when he committed these crimes." His first name sounded so strange coming from her voice. He had never heard her say it before.

"The Dark Lord threatened his family if he did not comply. The Dark Lord was welcomed and sheltered by his parents in their home. They had a choice of sides during the war. Draco Malfoy had no choice. Any other wizard would have done the same, given the same circumstances. I ask the court to consider this in his sentencing today".

He heard her chair creak slightly. She must have finished her speech and sat down.

"Thank you for your input Miss Granger. We will take it under advisement" the head judge said.

The head judge cast a silencing charm so the other people present in the court could not hear the judges deliberation. Not that there was really anyone to hear anything. Draco had no one to speak on his behalf. His parents were already gone. There was only Hermione and a couple security wizards present for his final sentencing.

The judges seemed to take forever to deliberate. Although he couldn't hear them, he could vaguely see them and the deliberations seemed to get rather heated at one point. Finally the head judge rescinded his silencing charm and spoke.

"Draco Malfoy. Your crimes are serious. You have no one to speak on your behalf but an enemy. However, the testimony of Miss Granger on your behalf was most impressive to this court. She was one of the primary targets of your plans and yet she came here today on her own accord to speak for you. This has held a lot of sway with this court. Therefore your sentence will be"

Draco held his breath. He almost heard the head judge say "Azkaban" even though that wasn't what he said.

"Time served" was what he actually said. "Draco Malfoy, you are free to go. The security wizard will return your wand and escort you from the premises." The head judge flicked his wand and he was released from the chair. He stood quickly and spun around to see Granger, but she had already left. All he saw was a door to the gallery closing slowly in her wake.

After he left the ministry he immediately disapperate to Malfoy Manor. As soon as he arrived, he knew he couldn't stay. The place was colder and darker than ever. Every room still felt filled with the Dark Lord's presence. Every breath brought another terrible memory.

His father – sentenced to life in Azkaban right after the war. Later sentenced to the dememtor's kiss for conspiring with other Death Eaters while in prison.

His mother – sentenced to Azkaban as well, although not for life. However, before her final incarceration, the news arrived about his father's new sentence. That combined with Draco's arrest and impending trial had broken her mind. She now resided in St. Mungos, in the ward for the hopelessly insane.

He stayed at the manor for four days. He packed up the few things that he still cared about and moved to London.

Two years later

Hermione was enjoying her time at the Ministry. She had been granted a sort of internship program. She spent a few months working in different departments, trying them out to find a career. It was a bit of an unusual situation, but because of who she was, the Ministry had given her this special opportunity.

She had recently finished her internship in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It had been interesting, but not her favorite. Even with all she had learned from Hagrid (or maybe because of it), Magical Creatures would always scare her. She had moved on to the new department, Magical History. This was it – she had found her niche. It had not yet been a week, but she intended to stay on here.

"Come on Hermione, it'll be fun" Angelina Smithers said. "It's kind of a tradition". Angelina was a clerk who also worked in the Magical History department and she seemed to consider Hermione her new best friend.

She was trying to convince Hermione to join her and some other younger witches and wizards for a few Friday night drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione was reluctant, but decided that one or two drinks couldn't hurt.

Draco was a regular at the Leaky Cauldron, and not in a good way. Often drunk and sullen, he continually tried to drown his thoughts with firewhiskey. It never really worked, but he never stopped trying. Hannah Abbott, the Cauldron's proprietor didn't like Draco and didn't want him in her pub so much. But, he never caused any trouble and his money never seemed to run out, so she continued to serve him. Today he'd come in early, ordered a small meal and firewhiskey. He sat at his usual small table in the darkest corner of the pub. He continued to drink steadily as the night went on.

Hermione finished the report she was working on, closed up her office and left the Ministry. It was a nice night, so she decided to walk to the Cauldron to meet Angelina and her friends. When she arrived, the pub was packed. She stood near the door looking for a familiar face. She found one, but not the one she expected. Malfoy was huddled in a dark corner, hunched over a glass of something amber colored. She guessed from his demeanor that it wasn't butterbeer.

Angelina had spotted her and called her name over the din of the pub. At the sound of her name. Malfoy jerked his head up and scowled at her. Hermione ignored him and joined her friends.

She genuinely enjoyed her time with the young witches and wizards from the ministry that Angelina introduced her to. There were jokes and laughing about friends and their jobs, and no talk about the war. After two drinks though, Hermione was beginning to get tired and said her goodbyes and set out of the Cauldron to go home.

Malfoy continued to drink as he watched Granger laughing with the other ministry workers. Just another Ministry toadie now, he thought. "Hero Hermione" he had begun to call her. It still burned him that she had been the one to speak for him at his trial. He should be grateful, but his freedom felt heavy and sour, coming to him through her. He watched her say her goodnights to her friends and move towards the door. Draco slunk out the door before she did. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know why or what he wanted to say.

Hermione paused outside the door, breathing in the night air, trying to decide if she wanted to walk home or apperate.

"Hey, Granger" a voice growled at her from beside the pub's door. She spun around and found herself facing Malfoy for the first time in two years.

"Malfoy" she said with absolutely no inflection. He had no power over her anymore. She felt nothing for the blond man. No hate, no disgust, no fear, not even pity. She had not spared one moment's thought on Malfoy since that day in the Wizengamot.

He stumbled towards her, obviously very drunk. "I wanted to say" he began, but didn't finish. Instead his body heaved and he vomited. On her. Wonderful, she thought. Then he passed out. She barely caught him before he cracked his face on the sidewalk. Well, she thought. This is a lovely situation. Here I stand, on the street, covered in sick, holding Malfoy. She had no idea what to do now.

She couldn't leave him in the street like this. She didn't know where he lived. Her best plan was to apperate them both to the Ministry and hope his house was connected to the Floo network. Securing her grip on him tightly to make sure he didn't splinch, more problems to deal with there, and apperated to the ministry. She dragged Malfoy to the nearest fireplace, threw a fistful of Floo powder into the fire, yelled "Draco Malfoy's house" and jumped into the green flames as best she could with the unconscious Malfoy.

They tumbled from the fireplace on to a hard floor. Malfoy had landed on top of her and he was heavy. She cast a Levicorpus charm on him and carried him through the apartment looking for the bedroom. It was a small place, and sparsely furnished. The bedroom was the second door she tried. It was a blank white room, with only one dresser and a large bed occupying the space. She put Malfoy on the bed, took off his shoes and shirt, and covered him with a blanket.

Although she could have Scourgified the mess from her clothes, she still didn't want to spend another moment in the sick covered things. She rummaged through the drawers of the dresser looking for something to wear. She found a tee shirt and a pair of drawstring sweats in the second drawer. She went to the bathroom and quickly changed. She put the smelly clothes in the bathtub, and took her purse and her wand with her. Then she didn't know what to do. She had never been around anyone that had gotten that sick from drink. Was it safe to leave him like this? She thought she'd better sleep on the couch, just in case.

She pulled a blanket from underneath Malfoy. He didn't so much as grunt. She settled on the couch for the night, her wand tucked under her pillow and pondered the absurdity of this situation.

One year ago, she had been seriously considering marrying Ron Weasley. He had proposed, but instead of jumping into his arms and yelling "Yes!" she had asked for some time to think. That in itself was not a good sign. After a couple days of back and forth in her head, she realized that she loved him as a brother, not a husband. The feelings had been so intense during and after the war, it had been easy to mistake them for passion, but once everything had started returning to normal, the passion had waned.

So she turned down his proposal. He was sad, but seemed to accept her decision well. She thought that in his heart, he probably realized that she was right. She had even been back to the Burrow a couple times for family dinners and was a bridesmaid at Harry and Ginny's wedding.

Still pondering the strange circumstances that had put her on Malfoy's couch, she drifted off to sleep.

Draco had always been plagued with nightmares, since his sixth year at Hogwarts. Not one single night had gone by without them. Now, there were always the same few dreams – the Dark Lord lurking around every corner of the Manor or Hogwarts, ready to kill him or his parents at the slightest provocation; Professor Burbage's death and the Dark Lord's damnable snake, Nagini consuming her body, only it became Draco the snake was eating and he was still alive, feeling the snake's jaws tighten around his body; Crabbe's fire curse going terribly wrong in the Room of Requirement, only this time, Harry and Ron didn't save him, he felt the fire burning him to death. And the worst one – his Aunt Bellatrix torturing Granger right in front of his eyes, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

He always woke from these nightmares burning hot yet also covered in cold sweat. Any ideas of sleep from then on were a sweet memory. Since he had one of these nightmares every night, his sleep had been severely limited the last four years.

Hermione woke in the middle of the night and was disoriented. It took a minute for her to remember where she was and why she was here. Then she heard the sound that had woken her. Malfoy was loudly calling her name. Had he woken enough earlier to know she was the one that brought him home? She went to his bedroom, opened the door slightly and looked in. Malfoy looked as if he were still asleep, but he was beginning to thrash around and was still calling her name. A nightmare, she thought. She went to the side of his bed and tried to shake him awake, but he didn't respond. What he did was clutch her hand like a drowning man and wouldn't let go. He began to calm down and sink back into a deep slumber. His grip on Hermione's hand loosened. She started to leave to return to the couch, but he started to moan again. She sat down beside him on the bed and put her hand in his again. Only for a few minutes, she thought. Just until he calms down. I'll never be able to sleep with him yelling all night anyway. She yawned and closed her eyes.

The morning sun pierced Draco's closed eyes like daggers. Matching knives of pain stabbed at his head. Hung over again, he cursed himself. He cracked one eye open to see where he had ended up last night. His own apartment, that was a good start. Then he heard and felt someone moving beside him in the bed. Got lucky too by the looks of it, he thought. It might not have been that bad a night after all. He also felt surprisingly rested, for being as hung over as he was. He had not woken once covered in that horrible cold sweat. Maybe it was finally getting to be over. He turned on his side and rose up on his elbow to see who the lucky lady was this time. She turned from her side to her back and Draco almost yelped in horror. Fucking Granger? In his clothes? What the hell happened last night? He jumped from the bed and almost yelled at her, but he wanted to collect his thoughts first. He bolted for the living room and the kitchen beyond.

As he started coffee, he realized he was still wearing the pants he had on last night, so he knew that he probably hadn't actually slept with Granger. That realization came as a tremendous relief. But what was she doing here, and in his bed? He collected coffee mugs and cream and sugar, put everything on a tray and took it to his bedroom.

Hermione smelled coffee and started to wake up. But she realized that this was wrong, she lived alone, who was making coffee? She bolted straight up in bed and took in her surroundings. Merlin's ghost, she was in Draco Malfoy's bed! She must have fallen asleep after his nightmares subsided. Malfoy must be the one making the coffee. She wanted to disapperate at that second, before he came back, but her wand was still in the living room. And Draco was standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands.

He set the tray down beside her on the bed. "Morning Granger." he said as if this was the most normal situation in the world.

"Good morning Malfoy" she replied.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Uh, please" she stammered. He poured her a cup and she added cream and sugar. As she was stirring, the surreal scene became too much for her. She banged the cup back down on the coffee tray and ran for the living room. All she wanted was her wand so she could get out of here.

Malfoy followed her and caught her wrist. "Wait" he said. "Just wait one minute. Why are you here?" he asked.

Hermione told him about the meeting outside the Cauldron, him getting sick and passing out and how she had gotten him back to his apartment. She told him why she was wearing his clothes. "Don't worry" she said "I didn't rummage through all your drawers. I grabbed the first thing I thought I could wear".

"Ok" Malfoy drawled, "But, then how did you come to be in my bed?" he asked.

She told him about his calling her name and how she checked on him. She told him that he had calmed down, but started to yell again as she was leaving his room. "So I was going to sit beside you on the bed until I was sure you were back asleep, and I must have fallen asleep too" she told him.

"Wait a second" he said "I grabbed your hand and calmed down?" he asked

"Yes" she replied, "You must have been having a bad dream. I figured that at one point you had woken up enough to know that I was the one who brought you home and you wanted my help."

His head was spinning slightly and it wasn't from the hangover. He hadn't called her name because he knew she was there. He was having that nightmare again. The one about her and Bellatrix. He had been kicked out of enough beds for yelling another woman's name in his sleep to know that when he had that particular dream, he called Granger's name. The part that baffled him was that he had calmed down and gone back to sleep. He had plenty of company in many different beds in the last few years, and not once had the nightmares ever stopped before the completion, waking to his own yelling, burning hot and covered in cold sweat. To Malfoy this was even more confusing and unsettling than if his first thoughts upon waking had been the truth.

Hermione watched him stare at her for a few moments before she got too uncomfortable with the whole situation. She grabbed her purse and her wand from under the pillow on the couch and was going to disapperate post haste.

"WAIT" Draco yelled. She paused. "I'll have your clothes cleaned and returned to you. Send me a bill for the shoes"

She gaped at him for exactly one half a second and immediately disapperated to her apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_**Hermione**_

After that weekend, Hermione was relieved to return to the order at her office in the Ministry. She sat behind her desk, took a deep breath and began to work on the stack of documents in front of her. The Ministry had created a new department after the war, The Department of Magical History. She was pleased when her rotating internship brought her here. She had been a part of recent history, and the history of Magic had always fascinated her. Today she was working on the influences of the wizarding world in the medieval Muggle society. She was, of course, an expert on the more recent wizarding history, but she didn't want to face that today. It would make her think too much Malfoy and after about this weekend's encounter, all she wanted to do was forget that strange night and even stranger morning. She had even sent his clothes back as soon as she returned to her apartment Saturday morning.

Absorbed in her work, she thought of nothing other than English and French Muggle history, trying to discern any wizarding influence. Around mid-morning, a package was delivered to her office. It was wrapped in brown paper and addressed in an unfamiliar hand. She opened the package and her clean clothes from Friday spilled out. Oh, she thought, Malfoy. She picked up the clothes to move them to her desk drawer and a note fluttered out.

"Granger –

Your clothes, cleaned as promised. I was serious about the bill for the shoes as well.

Malfoy"

Why did Malfoy give her shoes a second thought, she wondered. The Ministry job hadn't made her rich, but she could afford new shoes and she felt insulted. Was Malfoy flaunting his money again after all this time? She had turned down his money once before, whether he knew it or not.

After the war, the Malfoy family, as part of their punishments, had been ordered to pay reparations to the people they had hurt. Hermione's share had been quite large, but she had absolutely refused to take one Knut. She would buy her own damn shoes. Feeling angry and more than a little confused she tried to return to the medieval world.

_**Draco**_

After he had sent off the package with Granger's clothes, Draco was at a loss for what to do with his time. The Cauldron wasn't open yet and he had no fire whiskey in his house, so drinking was out. He had no friends or even acquaintances to pass the time with anymore. Everyone had shut him out after the war and the following trials.

He sat on his couch and tried to read Friday's _Daily Prophet_. He skimmed the headlines, but couldn't concentrate on what any of them actually said. He stood up and began to pace his living room. What the hell was that with Granger this weekend, he thought to himself. Why had he even bothered getting her clothes back to her? He should have just thrown them out, that's what Draco Malfoy would do. But he didn't feel like Draco Malfoy anymore. He felt empty and defeated. The aristocratic Malfoy family name meant nothing anymore. He wanted a drink so badly right now he was almost shaking. He needed to get out of this tiny, bleak apartment. He decided to take a walk to try to calm himself until the Cauldron opened.

_**Hermione**_

Some old habits die hard and Hermione had never lost the desire for the Muggle drink cappuccino. After the package with her clothes arrived, she struggled to regain her focus on the historical documents on her desk. She read and re-read passages from a parchment dated 1091, but she just could not concentrate on history anymore. She decided a coffee and some fresh air were just what she needed. She told Angelina she was leaving and headed out of the Ministry.

The day was bright and sunny and Hermione slowed her pace as she left the Ministry's doors. She meandered, almost aimlessly through the streets near the Ministry. Her head was beginning to clear and she could already smell the wonderful scent of coffee drifting into the street from her favorite café. The she snapped back – the smell of coffee also was reminding her of the debacle on Saturday morning. Why, she angrily asked herself, why am I finding Malfoy at every turn today? True, the strange night was in her most recent memory. But she had spent the last two years forgetting him, and had done a bang-up job. She really hadn't thought about him at all before Friday night. She sighed, shook her head as if that would clear her mind and stepped into the café.

_**Draco**_

He wandered the bright streets, squinting even though he had his dark sunglasses on. The cursed Muggle things, he hated them at first. But his frequent hang over's necessitated something to keep the sun from making his eyeballs explode. They had now become a habit.

As he passed through a particularly bright and cheerful patch of sun, he closed his eyes. And ran right into someone. He opened his eyes and was looking down at none other than Hermione Granger. Again. He removed the sunglasses and tucked them in his side pocket.

_**Hermione**_

She left the café, sipping her cappuccino. The coffee was having the desired effect and she was feeling calmer and clearer. She turned a corner, raising her cup for another sip and ran smack into someone who obviously wasn't watching where he was going.

"Hey, watch out!" she said as the cappuccino spilled down the front of her shirt. She tried wiping the coffee with her hand but only succeeded in smearing it across her shirt and now her sleeve.

She stepped back from the man she had run into and looked up at him. Malfoy. Ruining her clothes again.

"Malfoy-"she began

"I've spoiled your clothes again, Granger" he said. Was there a hint of smile in his face? Of course there was, any time he could harass her was probably still a good day for him, she thought.

"And no extra sweatpants or tee shirts in sight" he finished. He grasped her elbow and pulled her into a side street that was practically deserted. He pulled his wand from his inside coat pocket, pointed it at her shirt and muttered a charm that appeared to suck the coffee from her clothes into the wand.

"There, all better" he said as they walked back to the main avenue.

"Th-thank you" she stammered. Malfoy gave her a half grin and raised one eyebrow. Then he turned and walked away. The whole encounter had happened so quickly she barely had time to digest it. But the whole walk back to the Ministry, her elbow seemed to burn where he had touched her.

_**Draco**_

After his run in (literally) with Granger he headed straight to the Cauldron. Even if it wasn't open yet, he supposed there were plenty of places in London where he could drink, and if he ever wanted a drink, now was the time. In that alley way, he hadn't just wanted to clean Granger's shirt. As he pointed his wand at her chest, he felt an insane desire to push her against the wall and kiss her until she fainted in his arms. Not good. Not good at all.

That night, as he had done the night before, he slept curled around the tee shirt she had worn. He could still smell her scent on it. And, as had happened the night before, the nightmare never came.

_**Author's note**_

_The ideas are pouring out for now, I hope they keep up! Thanks for the reviews and follows, they are much appreciated for a first effort! I am trying to stick to canon pre DH epilogue, if you spot mistakes, please let me know._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_**Hermione**_

"Oh, please Hermione?" Angelina was pleading. "It's Septimus' birthday. Just a quick lunch and we'll come right back". She was trying to convince Hermione to leave her work for a birthday celebration for another Magical History department colleague. In the three days since the spilled cappuccino and burning elbow incident, Hermione had arrived at the Ministry very early, stayed very late and didn't leave the building all day. Since it seemed to have been her luck to run into Malfoy at every turn lately, she decided to avoid everyone altogether in an effort to get over this, this… whatever it was.

"Alright Angelina, just a quick bite I guess." Hermione decided.

"Great!" Angelina practically squealed. "Leaky Cauldron at 1:00."

As the lunch hour approached, Hermione's stomach felt less and less hungry and more and more nervous. Why should she worry about a lunch with friends? Because that was where this all started, that's why. What if Malfoy was there again? She felt like a scared school girl again, instead of one of the "Golden Trio" as she, Harry and Ron were known. The bravest and smartest witch of her age. HA, she thought. Her stomach was clenching at the thought of Malfoy again, just like a scared first year. Angelina poked her head in Hermione's office, "Ready to go?"

Hermione started to make some excuse, but Angelina wouldn't hear it. She practically dragged the witch from behind her desk and out the door. They apperated to the street outside The Leaky Cauldron and went in to the pub.

_**Draco**_

Still sitting at the same table, drinking the same fire whiskey, again, he thought. What a waste. Still, what could he do? No one wanted to be friends with or even admit to knowing Draco Malfoy, the minion of the Dark Lord. He should be in Azkaban. Certainly no one would ever trust him enough to give him any sort of a job. Visiting his mother at St. Mungo's would require him to stay sober until well into the afternoon, during visiting hours. That was a feat he had not managed since moving to London. It was all over. He had had such a blazing bright future before the Dark Lord's return. Now it was all ashes, his past and his future all felt like ashes. Wallowing in this self pity, he motioned for another drink.

The bell above the door of the pub chimed and a group of five people walked in. They all seemed to be happy; it was some kind of celebration obviously. All but one. She hesitated at the door, looking cautiously around the pub, and then her eyes found his. Granger again, he thought. I need to find a new place to drink. He drained his whiskey, threw some money on the table to pay his bill and stumbled out of the pub.

_**Hermione**_

She watched him leave the Leaky Cauldron and almost felt sorry for him. What kind of demons was he fighting to be that drunk this early in the day? Oh, well, she thought. Not my concern. She turned to the table where her friends were sitting, plastered on a smile and sat down with them to celebrate Septimus Seaton's 100th birthday.

After lunch, Hannah Abbott brought over a special tray of cauldron cakes for their little party. As she was leaving the table, Hermione touched her arm.

"Hannah?" started Hermione, "Was that Draco Malfoy I saw leave earlier?" even though she knew it was, she was hoping that by asking in this way, Hannah would give her all the information she wanted without seeming like she was concerned for him.

"Oh yeah" Hannah replied. "He's in here nearly every day, almost all day. He eats a little and drinks a lot" she informed Hermione. So, Malfoy was drinking. Quite heavily by the sounds of it. Her encounter with him outside the Cauldron last week wasn't a one time; I got depressed and drowned my sorrows binge. Apparently Malfoy was really, truly in trouble.

"Oh. Thanks Hannah. Great lunch by the way. Happy Birthday Septimus! Angelina, I have an errand to run, I'll see you later! " Hermione turned, left the Cauldron and disapperated.

_**Draco**_

He stumbled back to his apartment, not trusting his apparition skills when he was drunk. Several times he had tried to apperate by thinking "Home" and ended up at Malfoy Manor. He took the long route back, to try to sober up a little bit. He opened his door and was shocked to see Granger sitting on his couch, waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" he slurred as he turned and shut the door. "Can't get enough Malfoy, huh?" he asked teasingly, trying to give what he supposed was a sly grin.

"Apparently not" she replied. "I still don't know exactly where you live, I came by Floo again. I came here to offer you a job at the Ministry of Magic."

"You're joking" Malfoy spat back. "Draco Malfoy, trusted employee of the Ministry of Magic? I'll believe it when Merlin himself offers me the job." He started to stumble off to his bedroom. He was tired, and he just wanted to curl up with her shirt again and sleep. But it had lost its smell of her from all his handling of it. Now it just smelled like sour fire whisky. He vaguely wondered if she would wear another of his shirts for him, then realized if he actually asked her, she would probably Confringo him into the next apartment.

He turned back to her. "Just leave, Granger" he mumbled. He hated her seeing him like this.

"Alright, Malfoy" she said. "But think about the job, ok? If I don't hear back from you in a week, I'll just post the position in the Daily Prophet". Then she walked out the front door, and he heard a "Crack" as she disapperated.

Later that night he woke burning hot and covered in sweat again. Nagini this time. Would these nightmares ever end? Why had Granger been able to keep them away? And could he ever find a way permanently keep them away? Her job offer, he thought. What was that all about? In his half drunk-half asleep state, he realized, that might be one way he could be around her more, and maybe, just maybe it would be enough. Why should he accept the job? Because it was looking more and more like Hermione Granger might be the only friend you have, he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_**Draco**_

The next morning he made some coffee and sat down at the small kitchen table to write to Granger and accept the position at the Ministry. He didn't even know exactly what the job would be, but he knew he wanted it. He went through a few parchments before he thought he had the letter just right. A balance between respectfulness and groveling, between a friendly letter accepting the job and a heartfelt confession of love for her. Yes, to his surprise, that was one of the drafts that had seemed to pour out of his quill, almost on its own, as soon as he had written her name. It was as if the thing was cursed.

He made certain that the correct letter was sealed and addressed to her at the Ministry, and attached it the leg of his owl. It was Saturday, he realized, after he had sent her off. Granger wouldn't get the letter until Monday, then. After the owl left, Draco felt better than he had in years. His head was clear, despite another poor night's sleep and he actually did not have any desire to drink today.

He looked around his small apartment. He had never really furnished or decorated it. Most of the furniture had been left by the previous tenant. All Draco had ever added was the bed. It looks dreary, he thought. He decided to spend the day in Diagon Alley looking for items to add some life into his flat.

When he arrived in Diagon Alley, however, he realized that he had no idea what he wanted or what would look good in his flat. He wandered in and out of a few shops, but couldn't find anything he liked. He needed someone's advice on this. This was a mother's job, helping him decorate his first flat, he thought with a small twinge in his heart. He headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hannah, can I use your Floo?" he asked.

_**Hermione**_

She was doing what she loved to do on a Saturday morning. Sitting in the sun filled living room of her small apartment, lazily sipping a cup of coffee, stroking the soft fur of her beloved Crookshanks, and turning through the pages of a book. She was completely content.

That was until a figure tumbled out of her fireplace. She jumped from her chair, wand at the ready, scattering books and tumbling an unhappy Crookshanks to the floor. The figure stood up and brushed himself off. Malfoy! she thought, What was he doing here? As soon as her heart moved out of her throat and back into her chest, she shouted those exact words at him.

"I need your help Granger" he said with a grin. She looked at him as if he had spoken a foreign language.

"What?" she asked in a puzzled voice.

"Help. I need your help with something" he replied.

She was confused. What kind of help would Malfoy need from her?

"You've been to my place" he said. "It's atrocious, wouldn't you agree?" he asked.

"Well, it is a bit sparse" she replied, "but I wouldn't say atrocious" she added, diplomatically.

"Yes it is, it's awful" he said, "So I want to decorate it. I went to Diagon Alley, and tried to pick out some things, but I have no idea what I'm doing. So, I came here to ask you to help me decorate my apartment" he finished.

She managed not to openly gape at him. This was probably the second strangest encounter she had had with Malfoy (maybe third, after the spilled coffee/burning elbow thing, as she continued to call it). But it was a nice Saturday, and the thought of shopping and spending someone else's money did appeal to her.

"Give me a couple minutes to get ready" she told him. She took her coffee cup to the kitchen and walked off to her bedroom.

She stared into her closet. This was impossible, she thought. What do I wear for a shopping trip with Malfoy? Realizing that no matter what she chose, it wouldn't feel exactly right, she pulled out a green sweater set and a pair of jeans. She ran a brush through her hair and twisted it up in a loose bun. She slipped on some sandals and headed back out to her living room.

"Ready to go?" she asked Malfoy.

_**Draco**_

While she was dressing (he tried not to think too much about that), he browsed around her apartment. Nice, he thought. Maybe a little girly for his taste, but it was cozy. Lots of books. The cat regarded him suspiciously from across the room. They stared each other down for a few seconds, and then Crookshanks jumped down from the chair and padded off in the direction Granger had gone. He settled himself on the sofa. Girls take forever, he thought. Might as well get comfortable.

He was surprised when he heard her enter the living room just a few minutes later.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

He stood up and turned around and saw her. His breath caught in his throat for a second. "Slytherin green looks good on you Granger. Maybe that stupid hat had it all wrong" he said.

She glanced down at her clothes, and realized what he was talking about.

"Oh, yeah, well, um, I…" she stammered.

"No hidden meaning there Granger, you just look nice" he said as he walked to her. "Let's go"

He grabbed her hand and before she could say anything else, and they disapperated to the Cauldron.

They shopped the entire morning and past the lunch hour. Draco would make a selection and Granger would approve or disapprove the item, depending on where it would go in the apartment, if it was functional, or if it was in good taste. By early afternoon, they had amassed a stack of packages and they were struggling to carry them all. They paid a messenger to take them all back to Draco's apartment.

"Are you hungry?" he asked Granger.

"Starved!" she replied. He suggested the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch.

"You go ahead" she told him. "I wanted to check Obscurus' for a book I need to help me with some translations at work. Order me a butterbeer, please" and she turned back to the bookshop.

Draco watched her walk away for a second, shook his slightly and turned back to walk to the Cauldron. Once inside, he sat at the bar and waited for Hannah. She saw him, poured a glass of fire whiskey and set it in front of him.

"Uh, no thanks Hannah. Not today." He pushed the glass across the bar back to her.

"Oh" she sounded surprised, and he supposed she should be. "What can I get you then?"

"Two cold butterbeers please" he requested.

She gave him a long look. "Coming right up" she said.

He took the drinks and found a small table. Not his usual table huddled in a dark corner, but a window table, in the bright sunlight. He sipped his butterbeer and waited for her. She came in the back door of the Cauldron, cheeks pink and eyes bright. She glanced around and found their table.

"Oh my" she exclaimed as she sat down, "I could just spend hours in that bookshop!" she seemed to glow.

"Find what you were looking for?" he asked.

"Oh yes, they had exactly what I needed. I can't wait to get to work on Monday!" she glowed a little brighter in her excitement.

He cleared his throat. "Speaking of Monday" he began, "you'll find a letter on your desk. I decided to accept your job offer."

Hannah approached them to take their lunch orders and brought more butterbeers. After she left, Granger reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Slightly shocked from her touch, he drew it back a little.

"Malfoy, that's great!" she said "It's a job in the new History department. I hope you like it."

Hannah returned with their lunches and they made small talk about the Ministry, news from the _Daily Prophet_, even the weather.

_**Hermione**_

After they had finished eating, they remained at their table, finishing their drinks. A small red-haired witch approached.

"Hermione!" she chirped. "How are you!" she sat down at the table beside Draco.

"Great, thanks. Draco this is Calypso Horton. I worked with her in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry."

"Yes" said Calypso pouting slightly "and you haven't even so much as come back to say hello since you left!" She threw a teasing little grin at Hermione.

Malfoy stood. "I'll go get another round of drinks and let you ladies catch up a little" he turned and left the table.

"So, do tell" Calypso whispered furiously, "Who is he?" she almost purred.

"Malfoy?" Hermione said, "Someone I knew at school" was all she could think to say.

"Really?" said Calypso. "He's gorgeous, don't you think?"

Was he? she wondered. Hermione studied Malfoy over Calypso's shoulder. Standing at the bar, he seemed taller than she had realized. He still had the lean physique of the Quiddich player he had once been. He had stopped slicking his white blond hair back in the severe style he had favored in school. It now waved softly around his head. The permanent sneer was gone from his mouth, and she saw that it actually had a rather sensual Cupid's bow shape.

"Hermione?" Calypso repeated.

"Hmm?" her attention snapped back to her friend.

"Is he with anyone, I asked" she said.

"Uh, no I don't think so" Hermione responded slowly.

"Good" Calypso drawled. Hermione looked at her pointedly.

"Oh, not for me!" she exclaimed. "You know I have practically been engaged to Thaddeus for ages. My friend, Stacia is looking for a new guy, though."

Suddenly Hermione felt a small prick of hatred for anyone named Stacia.

_**Authors note**_

_So, it's finished in my head, and I love the ending. And I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to get everyone there, now I just need to flesh it out. I hope you are enjoying reading it; I am really enjoying writing it! Reviews and feedback are appreciated!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_**Hermione**_

True to his word, the letter from Malfoy was sitting on her desk Monday morning.

"Miss Granger

Thank you for your offer of employment with the Ministry of Magic.

I accept your offer.

D. Malfoy"

So now all Hermione had to do was actually find him a job. She left the letter on her desk and went to Septimus Seaton's office, knocked on his door and peered in. It was piled high on every side with parchments, books, scrolls. All of them looked incredibly ancient.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" the old wizard looked at her over his glasses.

"Septimus" she began "I want to hire another clerk to help Angelina. She is really getting swamped trying to catalogue all the documents we are getting in to the department. I think another clerk would really help."

"I agree Miss Granger. Establishing the new department has been a challenge for me at my advanced age. Thank you for taking notice of this situation. I leave the hiring of the new clerk in your capable hands". Septimus returned to his reading.

She returned to her desk and composed a reply to Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy,

Congratulations on your new position in the Department of Magical History. Please report to the Ministry tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. I will meet you in the lobby.

H. Granger

Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical History"

She addressed the envelope and placed the letter in the outgoing mail chute. It would travel to the central mail room where a Ministry owl would be assigned to deliver it that day. She leaned back in her chair and smiled.

_**Draco**_

He was in his apartment, still unwrapping packages from that weekend's shopping trip. He unwrapped one package and thought, now, where did this confounded thing belong? The shopping trip with Granger was great, but now he couldn't remember where she said all these different things would go in his apartment. He was just getting ready to shove the packages into a corner and deal with them later, when an owl tapped on his window. He went to the window; cursing as he stubbed his toe on something she had called an "end table". He would have to get used to walking around this new furniture. He opened the window and the little owl stuck out her leg. He removed the letter attached to her and she immediately flew back to the Ministry, ready for another assignment.

He sat down at the little kitchen table. She had wanted him to buy a new one, but that would have been too heavy for him to carry up and down Diagon Alley. He unrolled the parchment and read the letter. So I start tomorrow, he thought. And he leaned back in his chair and smiled.

He arrived promptly at 8am and found Granger, as promised, waiting for him in the lobby. He felt a little uncomfortable though. Was everyone looking at him? Wondering why Draco Malfoy was in the Ministry of Magic? He watched the faces of the people passing by and realized no one seemed to even notice him.

She approached him by the new fountain in the center of the lobby. He greeted her, "Good morning, Miss Granger".

"No need for that, Malfoy" she said. "I won't be your boss or anything".

She turned to walk away and he followed her, smiling faintly. She escorted him past the security wizards and they got on to an elevator. She said "Magical History" and the elevator began to whiz down and then sideways, then down again for a short time. It stopped and they stepped off. He followed her down a long hallway. She stopped in front of an office, knocked on the door and stuck her head in.

"Septimus?" she said.

"Please come in Miss Granger" came the voice from inside.

She stepped in the office and motioned for him to follow her. They stood in front of the desk of a very old wizard. Draco felt like he should know him, he had at least seen him before, he thought. But he couldn't place the face.

"Septimus" she began, "this is the new clerk I asked you about hiring. His name is Draco Malfoy. Draco this is the head of the Department of Magical History, Septimus Seaton".

"Malfoy, you say?" asked Septimus.

Draco froze. Was this it? The part where someone finally throws him out of the Ministry because of who he was, and what he and his family had done? He felt like the air had thickened.

"Yes Septimus, Draco Malfoy. I am certain he is the right one for the position" she replied to the old wizard. "I'll just leave you two to get acquainted. I have a pile of work in my office to get through." She turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Septimus looked Draco up and down. Finally he said "Please, sit down my boy". He flicked his wand and a chair appeared in the middle of the ordered chaos of the office. Draco sat.

"So, Malfoy" he began. Here it comes, Draco thought.

"Do you know what we do here in the Department of Magical History?" Septimus asked.

"Uh, no sir. I guess it has to do with Magical History, though?" Draco offered.

"Oh, don't be smart boy. Of course it has to do with Magical History." Draco reddened slightly

"After the extensive cooperation between the Ministry of Magic and the Muggle government that was required during the last wizarding war, a new bond of trust was formed between us. The Muggle Prime Minister has allowed the Ministry of Magic unprecedented access into the archives of Muggle history. We are cataloguing these records and doing a complete and thorough review to try to discern wizarding influence in Muggle history that was previously unknown to either world. Your job as a clerk will be helping Angelina catalog these documents and prepare them for review."

"Oh" Draco said. "Sounds interesting."

"You bet Merlin's beard it's interesting!" exclaimed the old wizard. "For example, we have found evidence that Anne Boleyn may truly have been a witch after all!"

"Who was a witch?" Draco asked.

Septimus sighed, "Young people. Go on Malfoy, go find Angelina and get to work then. Apparently you have a lot to learn."

Draco rose thanked Septimus again for the job and left his office to find this Angelina person.

_**Hermione**_

She stood up from her desk and stretched, reaching her arms high above her head. She loved this job, maybe too much, she thought. She often found herself so deeply engrossed in her work that she simply sat at her desk for hours on end. As a result she frequently had a sore body by the end of the day. Stretching her legs, she left her office to find Angelina and Draco, to check on how his first day was going.

She walked down a long gallery filled with tables. Each table was covered with boxes and boxes of old documents. And this wasn't even all of them, she thought. This collection only covered the Muggle years 1000-1600. She hoped she could live as long as Septimus had, because that was probably the only way she would see this work to completion. She heard two people talking off to her left and turned that way.

She saw Angelina and Malfoy's heads bent over a document. Angelina was showing him how to read the document, how to discern the age and subject of the paper. Sometimes if it wasn't clear from the actual text of the document, magic would have to be used. They looked up as she approached.

"How's he doing Angelina?" Hermione asked.

"He's doing very well! Turns out he's a natural at using magic to reveal the information about a document." Angelina replied.

"Oh, well, Well done you" Hermione said to Malfoy. She wanted to be complementary without sounding condescending. He smiled at her. Merlin, she thought. Calypso was right, he is kind of gorgeous.

"Granger, can I talk to you for a second?" Malfoy asked.

"Sure, why don't I show you my office?" was her reply.

They walked down the long gallery to her office. They went in and sat down.

"So, Granger I need your help again" he said.

"Again?" she asked with exaggerated exasperation.

"Well, it's an extension of the first favor actually. I have all this confounded stuff in my flat, but I have no idea where any of it belongs."

"Oh!" she laughed. "I see. Ok, interior decorator Granger at your service then. Should I come by this evening?"

"Sure tonight would be great."

"See you then" she said as he left her office and returned to the document cataloguing with Angelina.

_**Draco**_

What was an interior decorator? Who cared, she was coming to his house tonight. He was sure he had a hint of a blush on his face, so he took a walk around the "Hall of Documents" he had begun to call it, before he returned to Angelina. They finished up for the day.

"Great work Draco" she told him as the parted ways in the lobby. "See you tomorrow!"

He nodded at her, stood in line for a Floo and headed home.

Around 7pm there was a loud crack outside his door, followed by a knock. He opened the door and there was Granger, dressed in green again.

"See," he said, "It suits you". Did she blush just slightly?

"Oh this old thing" she said. "I was in such a hurry when I got home I just put on the first thing in my closet".

They walked in to his apartment, towards the pile of purchases. He kicked that cursed table again and yelped.

She laughed "Are you ok?"

"I keep kicking the bloody thing!" he growled.

"It's not supposed to go in the middle of the floor, Malfoy! It's called an end table because it goes at the end of the couch!" She raised her wand, said "Wingardium Leviosa" and moved the table to the end of the sofa.

"There!" she said, "Just where it should be."

"Alright" he said, "Let's get the rest of this stuff out of my way now".

They worked companionably together until about 10pm. Once everything was in the place Granger had envisioned it, the place actually didn't look half bad. Almost like a home.

Granger stretched and yawned. "I'd better get home" she said. She pulled her wand out to disapperate. "Goodnight Malfoy" she said.

He walked over to her. He took her hand in his. "Granger, thank you again. The place really does look good." He leaned towards her and kissed her cheek. When he pulled away, there was no missing the blush on her cheeks. She muttered a hasty "You're welcomegoodnight" and disapperated.

Draco looked around his apartment and smiled. Now he was surrounded by things she had picked out and placed. Her presence filled his home. How would the nightmares fare in this battle?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_Hermione_

She arrived at work the next morning and began to sort through the documents she was going to examine today. She was just getting to a particularly interesting section concerning the legend of King Arthur (definite wizard influence there) when Draco passed by her office.

"Hey, Malfoy" she called out.

He paused and stood in the doorway of her office. "Yes, Granger" he replied.

"How's the apartment? Everything still where I left it?" she teased. He gave a halfhearted smile.

"I wouldn't dream of moving a thing" he said, hand on his heart. She could see in his face something was wrong.

"Malfoy, are you alright? You don't look well" she told him.

"I'm fine Granger. I didn't sleep well last night, but I'll be able to hang in there today". He gave her another half-smile and went to find Angelina.

Later that morning, while she was still examining the King Arthur document, there was a tentative knock on her door. "Come in" she called. The door opened and standing there was the last person she would have expected today. Ron Weasley. He also worked at the Ministry, as an Auror-apprentice. The Auror offices were located on one of the upper floors of the building, so their paths never crossed.

"Hey Hermione" he said, "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure Ron, come in" she said, pleased to see him. He shut the door behind him and sat in the chair in front of her desk.

"How are you?" he asked

"I'm really good Ron. How are you?"

"Really fantastic" Ron said. "I wanted to talk to you about something Hermione. Before you heard it somewhere else".

Worry creased her forehead as all manner of horrible scenarios flashed in her mind. "What's happened Ron? Is something wrong? Harry? Ginny? Your parents?" her voice rising with each name she listed.

"No, no nothing like that, really" he assured her. "It's just that, well…" he trailed off.

"Oh come on Ron, out with it!" she urged him.

"Alright, here goes" he took a breath. "Lavender and I are getting married."

Hermione was nonplussed. She and Ron had only broken up a year ago. She had just seen Ron three months ago at Harry and Ginny's wedding, and he had said nothing about even dating anyone, let alone getting close to Lavender again.

"Wow", she said, "That was fast?" she intoned the last phrase as a question.

"Well, yeah, I suppose" he said, blushing to the roots of his red hair.

"Uh, Ron. Is she…." Hermione let that last word unspoken.

"Bloody hell, no Hermione! What kind of man do you think I am!" He looked insulted.

"Well I'm sorry! It has just happened so fast!" she replied.

"We just got back together and kind of picked up where we had left off. Seems like the time to take the next step's all" Ron mumbled the last words.

Hermione got the distinct impression that this was all Lavenders' idea and Ron was just along for the ride. She could have pressed him for more details, but Ron's love life wasn't her concern anymore. "I'm happy for you Ron. Really" she said.

"Thanks Hermione. You will come to the wedding, won't you? he asked.

I probably won't even get an invitation if Lavender gets her way, she thought. But she said, with a genuine smile, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Great!" said Ron. "I better be getting back upstairs. Loads of training every day."

"It's an important job" she said, very seriously, considering the times both their lives, Harry's too, had been saved by an Auror.

She got up from her desk and walked him to the door. She opened it and stepped out in to the hallway with him. She gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear, "Congratulations again, Ron. I wish you and Lavender all the happiness in the world."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks Hermione. You know, you're still my best friend". And he left to return to the elevators. Hermione walked back in her office, smiling at the thought of Ron and Lavender marrying. She closed the door behind her.

_Draco_

Lack of sleep was an understatement. True, he hadn't had any nightmares last night. But the other dreams. Merlin's ghost. They were almost as bad. Her face filled every dream he had had last night. He kept waking up to reach for her, but of course she wasn't there. He finally gave up around 3am, and just decided to stay awake. Now he was paying. Even with strong coffee, he still wanted to nod off. Reviewing boring old parchments wasn't helping any.

He completed cataloguing another box. It was ready to go to Hermione's office for her examination. He heaved the heavy box off the table and started through the "Hall of Documents" towards her office. Halfway there, he saw her door open and she walked out with someone. When he realized who it was, he almost dropped the box. The Weasel! She hadn't mentioned him once in the last couple weeks. He assumed they were broken up. But no, there he was holding her and kissing her cheek. Wow, he thought. Have I ever misjudged this whole thing. He suddenly felt like he had taken a Bludger to the stomach. He placed the box of documents on the nearest table (not caring that the parchments he carried were from the reign of King Harold Harefoot, and the table was full of documents catalogued to the reign of King Henry III). He found a side door from the hall and left without a sound.

He returned to his apartment, but of course, she was everywhere here even more so than at the Ministry. As depressing and cold as it was, the Manor seemed more inviting to him right now than this place.

_Hermione_

After lunch, Angelina stopped by Hermione's office. "Have you seen Draco?" she asked.

"No, not since this morning. Why?" Hermione asked back.

"Well, he was here and he had a box of parchments he was working on. Now I can't find him or the box he had".

Hermione said, "He mentioned that he wasn't feeling very well this morning. I think he was worse than he let on. Maybe he went home to get some rest. I'll stop by his flat this evening and check on him."

"Alright" Angelina said. "If he's ill, give him my best." She turned to go back to her work.

"I will" said Hermione.

After work, Hermione left the Ministry and apperated to the hallway outside Draco's apartment. She could have just apperated inside, or gone in through the Floo, but she hated invading anyone's privacy like that unless she had no choice. She knocked on his door and called his name. She listened for footsteps, or coughing, or something, but the apartment was silent. She considered knocking harder, but thought he must be sleeping. He did say that he hadn't slept well the night before. If so, then she didn't want to disturb him. She pulled a notepad and pen from her purse and wrote a quick note:

"Malfoy,

You left work early, so I came to check on you. I hope you're alright. If you need anything, let me know. I make great chicken soup!

Please take care,

Granger"

She knew he wouldn't understand the chicken soup reference, but thought it would be fun explaining it to him. The idea of eating something he would consider so foul when you were sick would be amusing. She slid the note under the door, and disapperated to her apartment.

He didn't come to work the next day. Or the day after that. And he didn't get in touch with her either. By Friday, she was worried. She stopped by the Leaky Cauldron at lunch, hoping that he wasn't there. Please don't be drinking again, she thought over and over. She went into the Cauldron and waved down Hannah Abbott. "Hannah, have you seen Malfoy recently?" she inquired.

Hannah looked surprised. "No, actually Hermione, I haven't. Last I saw him was when he was here with you on Saturday."

"Thank you so much Hannah." Hermione was so relieved she almost hugged the Cauldron's owner.

She went back to work, but of course, could think about nothing but Draco. Around two o'clock, she souldn't stand it anymore. She almost ran from her office. Privacy be dammed, she thought as she stepped onto the elevator and went up to the main lobby of the Ministry. She pushed her way in front of a witch waiting to use the closest Floo.

"Sorry!" she gruffly apologized, "Emergency situation". She grabbed a handful of Floo powder, flung it into the flames, yelled "Draco Malfoy's house" and leapt into the green fire.

_Together_

She had expected to see the familiar living room of Draco's flat. Instead she hit a hard, cold marble floor on her side. She stood up, rubbing her aching shoulder and looked around. She had emerged from a huge, ornate marble fireplace. The room looked about the size of a ballroom and seemed to be decorated in shades of gray. There was furniture, but it was pushed to the walls and covered with white sheets. The room seemed clean, she saw no evidence of dust, but it definitely wasn't being lived in. She called his name, "Draco!" and began to walk about the house. As she walked into the next room, she realized where she was. She would never forget this place. Her left forearm started to ache slightly and she absently rubbed it. Malfoy Manor. That's where she was. Draco must have come here for some reason, and when she tried to Floo to him, she ended up here. He was considering this place his home again. Why?

She continued to move through the huge house, most of the was furniture covered, and she felt that no other living being could possibly be here. The place was so cold, and dark. Even the air seemed wrong in here, heavy and bitter. She entered a room that must have been a parlor or sitting room. There were a few small settees and tables placed around the room, and a large cabinet just inside the doorway. She saw no one in the room, and turned to leave,when she heard a noise behind her. She back to the center of the room and saw a house elf standing there. She approached the elf. "I'm looking for Draco Malfoy" she said. "Is he here?"

The elf looked at her for a second and then cried, "Filthy mud blood! Violating the sanctity of my lady's parlor! Oh, the filth!"

Hmm, a friend of Kreacher's, she thought. Nothing she hadn't heard before. From the doorway behind her she heard a voice roar, "SHUT UP KECHEK! If I EVER hear you say that word again, I WILL present you with clothes. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" It startled her and she spun around. It was Draco.

Kechek apparently did understand, and, just like Kreacher (certainly a relative, Hermione thought) he walked away, muttering under his breath.

Hermione was in shock. He looked terrible. He was usually so meticulously groomed, but this, she thought. This was wrong. He was unshaven, his clothes looked like had been sleeping in them. She could see his bloodshot eyes from where she stood.

"Draco" she whispered, "What happened?" She slowly walked towards him.

He walked over to the cabinet by the doorway and opened it. It was full of crystal cut bottles that contained liquids of every color. He chose one at random, grabbed a crystal tumbler and filled it. "What happened? Now, there's a good question Granger. What did happen? I saw you with the Weasel, that's what happened".

She looked at him in surprise. He saw her with Ron? What did that have to do with anything she wondered. She only said, "Ron?"

"Yes Granger, Ron The Weasel Weasley. You know, you should have said something to me about you and him. All the time we spent together and not ONCE did you even say his name! Better be careful, or someone might think you didn't want me to know you two were dating." He took a long gulp of the drink and tried to walk to one of the small sofas that wasn't covered. He couldn't walk a straight line, but he made it there. He sat heavily on the sofa, slammed his elbow on the armrest and buried his face in his hand.

She understood now. She understood everything. She moved slowly to the sofa and sat beside him. "Draco" she began, keeping her voice even and low, "I didn't say anything about Ron, because we _aren't_ together. We broke up over a year ago. He came to my office to tell me that he's going to marry Lavender Brown." She watched him closely, but said no more.

"Wh-" he started. "Then why did you hug him? He kissed you!"

"Ron will always be special to me, Draco, but like a brother. I was happy for him, so I hugged him. That's all that there is between me and Ron now".

Draco seemed to moan slightly. "I've ruined it all, haven't I?" he said.

Hermione sat and thought for a moment. She approached him so carefully. Gently and slowly, like she would a frightened bird. She was so scared that if she moved too fast, he would fly away and she would never see him again. As gently as she could, she removed the crystal tumbler from his hand and set it on the table in front of them. She lightly took his hand in hers. Now was the time, she knew.

"Draco, do you know why I came to the Wizengamot the day of your sentencing?" she asked him.

"Yeah, leniency, Dark Lord, my parents, no choice, whatever" he scoffed at her.

"No, Draco. That's not why _I_ was there. That was why Harry and Ron _asked_ me to go there that day." His hand dropped from his face and he looked at her.

"So, you were there to gloat in case Potter and Weasley got it wrong? Thanks Hermione" he spat and turned to look out the window.

"No, Draco. _I_ was there because of something I saw here, in this house."

He whispered so slightly, "_No_". He hated thinking about what he had seen here, and even more, hated the thought of her remembering it for even one moment.

"Yes, Draco. I saw you that day. I saw your face. And I knew, _I knew_ that no matter what happened, no matter who won the war, no one, not the Dark Lord, not the Wizengamot, would ever punish you as much as you were going to punish yourself. And I was right. The nightmares, the drinking, isolating yourself. Bellatrix may have tortured me for an hour, but you have been torturing yourself for years. Draco," she breathed. He wouldn't look at her.

She slowly moved closer until she was right next to him. He was trembling. So close, she thought. She placed her lips on his scratchy cheek. He felt her soft lips and her warm, sweet breath as she whispered his name right against his skin, "Draco, look at me".

She softly placed her other hand under his chin and turned his face to hers. She looked in his eyes. She would have once described them as icy, but all the ice had melted. She saw deep blue pools of emotion, spilling over and down his face. "Draco" she whispered, "_I forgive you._" He shuddered. "I forgave you a long time ago". He looked into her eyes now, liquid brown and beginning to fill with emotion of her own. "_You need to forgive yourself._"

With those words, something inside him broke, shattered into a million pieces and fell away. Something else welled up in its place, something warm. Love? Hope? Joy? Yes.

He lowered his face into her neck and began to sob. His arms came around her and he held her so tight. Her arms held him the same. And they knew, there in that moment, they would never let go.

_Author's note –_

_I hope you liked it! I don't know if I will write anymore, I just had this story stuck in my head and it would not leave until I kicked it out! Thanks for reading!_


	7. Epilogue

_Author's note: one review asked for an epilogue, so here it is! Thanks again!_

_**Epilogue**_

_One year later_

He sat on the sofa, waiting for her. Women take forever, he thought. But for this one, he would wait for eternity. He heard the bedroom door open and her footsteps in the hall. He watched as she entered the living room. His heart seemed to stop. Her satin gown was deep green with silver accents. Small silver straps held the dress over her delicate shoulders. She was wearing the silver and emerald necklace he had given her 3 months ago. He had never seen anything more beautiful. He stood as she entered the room.

"Wow!" she said to him "You look amazing. You take my breath away in that suit!"

"No" he replied to her, "You are the breath thief, every time I look at you". He took her in his arms and rested his forehead against hers. "Do we really have to go?" he asked.

Her arms wrapped around him as she said, "You know I want to." He leaned into her and kissed her, his arms tightening around her and his breath quickening. She laughed slightly behind the kiss, put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away gently. With a smile, she said "Oh, no. No distractions. We're going!"

He leaned down and nibbled her neck. "Are you sure?" he whispered in her ear.

She moaned just slightly, then pulled away even further. "Yes, Draco, we are going." He made a small, disappointed growl in his throat as he let her go.

He reached for his wand and said "Alright, let's just get this over with". He took her hand in his and said "Abscondere anulus".

"I will do the apperating today. If you do it, you will probably abduct me to St. Barts again! " She reached into another bottomless purse and retrieved her wand. She grasped his arm, thought as hard as she could about the Burrow, and they disapperated with a "Crack".

The arrived in the garden. The huge white tent was set up again, as it had been for Bill and Fleur's and Harry and Ginny's weddings. Today it was Ron and Lavender's turn. Holding his hand, she started for the tent, but he hesitated, worry lines furrowing his brow. "Are you _sure_ this is alright?" he asked her, for approxmiately the fiftieth time.

"Draco, I am certain it's alright" she reassured him, for the fifty-first time.

"Don't leave me" he said, as he clutched her hand a little tighter.

She smiled up at him. "Never" she said.

As they entered the white tent, Hermione spotted Mrs. Weasley, overseeing the last minute decorations. Hermione went to her and touched her shoulder. "Molly!" she exclaimed. The older witch turned around. She lit up when she saw Hermione.

"Oh Hermione, it is wonderful to see you!" and she folded the young witch in a big hug. "It should be you" she whispered in Hermione's ear.

Hermione pulled away, "Now, Molly, we discussed this!" she reminded her, grinning.

Draco was lurking behind Hermione, almost trying to hide, and Mrs. Weasley spotted him. "And who is this?" she asked Hermione.

"Molly, surely you remember Draco Malfoy?" said Hermione.

"Draco!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, her hand over her mouth. Uh oh, thought Draco. Maybe this wasn't alright after all. He braced himself. He had heard enough of Molly Weasley's infamous Howlers during his time at Hogwarts to know that he did not want to be a target of this witch's wrath. She approached him. And held both of his hands, lifting them out slightly. "Merlin's ghost, what a handsome man you have become!" She stepped into his arms and kissed his cheek.

He managed to squeak, "Congratulations Mrs. Weasley".  
"Thank you Draco. Please, call me Molly!" Then she exclaimed "I must run now, I have to help the bride finish getting ready. I'll see you two later!" and she disapperated.

Hermione captured his hand again and squeezed. "I told you it was alright!" she said again. He squeezed her hand back, smiled at her and they went to find their seats.

Soon, Ron entered the tent from the side and Harry, his best man, followed. Ron looked a little bit green and just stared forward. Harry however was more relaxed and looked around at the guests. When he spotted Hermione, she smiled and gave him a little wave. He smiled back and gave her a nod as greeting. Then he looked at Draco and back to her, a slightly questioning look in his face. She smiled again and nodded. She had the suspicion that, after she told Harry and Ron that she and Draco were together, either as a team or separately, they had cornered Draco and threatened him with all kinds of woe if he hurt her in any way. They had nearly finished their Auror apprenticeships, and had the skills to back up those threats.

The music began and everyone turned to the back of the tent. First, Ginny, the matron of honor, looking beautiful and smiling at everyone. She spotted Harry at the front and seemed to light up, and Hermione thought she looked just as lovely as she had on her own wedding day. Then Lavender, stunning in her wedding dress. When Ron saw her, he grinned from ear to ear and the green cast left his face. The ceremony proceeded without a hitch.

After they were man and wife, a few waves of a few wands transformed the tent into a grand reception hall. There were long tables filled with food, a dance floor, and small tables for the guests. Draco and Hermione found their seats. They laughed and greeted friends, old and new.

When Ron and Lavender entered the reception, everyone stood and clapped and cheered. Draco looked at Hermione, and she was beaming. Was this what she really wanted, he wondered. A lavish wedding with all the accouterments? If it was, he vowed, he would give it to her. He would give her anything she wanted, even his life if she asked for it. But, really, that already belonged to her.

After they had eaten, Draco went to the bar to refill their drinks. He was waiting for butterbeers when Arthur Weasley approached. "Congratulations, Mr. Weasley" Draco offered, extending his hand.

Mr. Weasley looked slightly puzzled, then the recognition came and he gripped the offered hand. "Ah, yes, Draco! Wonderful to see you. I wonder if I couldn't talk to you, just for a moment" he said. Still gripping Draco's hand, he guided him to a quiet corner behind the bar.

Arthur Weasley looked Draco in the eye and said in a low voice, "Hermione Granger is like a daughter to me. I love her as much as I love Ginny. If you ever so much as make her cry one tear, I will ensure that you are miserable for the rest of your life."

So will I, thought Draco. But he looked squarely back into Mr. Weasley's eyes and said firmly "Yes, sir". Harry would have laughed had he overheard this speech. It was almost the exact same thing Arthur had told him on his wedding day.

Arthur clapped him on the back and a jolly smile lit up his face. "You're a good man, Draco Malfoy!" The music rose and Mr. Weasley exclaimed "The dancing has begun!" Then he shouted across the tent, "Molly Weasley, you enchanting creature, where are you?" and he went to look for his wife.

The rest of the reception passed in a blur of dancing and laughing. Late in the night, the guests began to drift away. Draco and Hermione said their goodbyes, and disapperated.

As soon as they arrived back in the living room Draco quickly said "Revelare anulus" as Hermione removed her shoes and sighed. "What an amazing evening!" she said.

Draco took her hands and said, "It's not over yet. I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes." She did as he asked her. He led her out to the back garden. It was dark at first, but she heard him whisper "Lumini horum" and there was a sensation of soft light behind her closed eyes. "Ok, open" he said.

She did and sucked in her breath. The garden had been transformed. There were masses of flowers everywhere, every possible type and color. And thousands of enchanted fairy lights floated all around. "Oh, Draco" she whispered. With another wave of his wand and he said, "Musica cordis mei" and music started softly playing. He took her in his arms and slowly danced her around the garden.

He leaned his forehead against hers again, and sighed. "You make me so very happy, Mrs. Malfoy, do you know that?"

"As happy as you make me I hope, Mr. Malfoy" she smiled at him.

"Are you disappointed we married in St. Barts?" he asked her. "Did you want a big wedding?"

"No" she assured him. "Our wedding was perfect".

"I still don't know why we couldn't tell anyone today" he pouted slightly.

"I told you, you don't steal someone else's special day! Also, our friends will be furious enough when they find out we eloped to a tropical island and didn't even give them the chance to talk us out of it. Thank you for finding the spell to hide our rings. I would have hated to take mine off." She gazed at the exquisite emerald and diamond ring he had given her on their wedding day. It had been his mother's, and his grandmother's, and so on, handed down through the Malfoy family for generations. It was one of the only things he had ever taken from Malfoy Manor after the war.

After they had been dancing a while, Hermione said, "Can we sit for a minute?" He led her to the garden bench.

"How is she doing?" he asked as his hand gently caressed her still flat stomach.

"Just fine, but you know she might be a he" she said.

"Nope" he said. "I want a houseful of little frizzy haired, know it alls. Surrounded by miniature Hermiones!"

She stood and reached her hand out to him. He took it and they danced in the garden until the sun began to rise.


End file.
